Torque spanner wrench

ABSTRACT

A torque wrench for threadedly attaching a high-pressure bottle to a stationary object. A semi-circular spanner has a nodule on an inner surface which is adaptable for engagement in a hole on a skirt of a high-pressure bottle. A handle is pivotally attached to the spanner and is engageable with a spring-biased plunger that provides a given resistance force. A predetermined amount of torque is applied when the plunger is fully depressed.

United States Patent [1 1 Daniels et al.

[5 TORQUE SPANNER WRENCH [75] Inventors: Thaddeus E. Daniels; Donald J.

Repass, both of Indianapolis, Ind.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC.

[22] Filed: Nov. 20, 1974 [Zl] Appl. No.: 525,533

[52] U.S. Cl. t. 81/524 R; 8l/90 C [51] Int. Cl. B25B 23/14; 8253 13/02 [58] Field of Search 8l/52.4 R, 52.5, 90 C {56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l,897,6l4 2/[933 Johnson 8l/52t4 R 2,560,716 7/1951 Bortle et al. 8l/52.4 R

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 86,664 l2/I92l Austria 81/90 B Aug. 5, 1975 975,924 lO/l950 France I. 81/90 B Primary ExaminerAl Lawrence Smith Assistant E.mminer.lames G. Smith Attorney, Agent, or Firm-R. S. Sciascia; Paul S. Collignon [57] ABSTRACT A torque wrench for threadedly attaching a highpressure bottle to a stationary object. A semicircular spanner has a nodule on an inner surface which is adaptable for engagement in a hole on a skirt of a highpressure bottle. A handle is pivotally attached to the spanner and is engageable with a spring-biased plunger that provides a given resistance force. A predetermined amount of torque is applied when the plunger is fully depressed.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TORQUE SPANNER WRENCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a torque wrench and more particularly to a torque wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a highpressure bottle.

Torque wrenches are well-known in the art and basically are of two types. In one type, a dial or scale is provided for a mechanic to read to determine, by visual inspection, the amount of torque being applied. In another common type, a predetermined amount of torque is either built-in or set-in the wrench and, when this amount of torque is reached, the device will release and no further tightening will be achieved. Such an automatic release device is shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,651,718, entitled Wrench, which issued Mar. 28, 1972, to Harvey A. Thomasian. In this patented device, a torque-limiting connection between a polygon on a shaft and a handle is made by a plunger which is biased by a spring. The bias can be adjusted by use of a screw.

While many and varied types of torque wrenches are available for tightening either nuts or bolts, all heretoforeknown torque wrenches for pipes and bottles are large and cumbersome. One such device is shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,722,331, entitled, Torque-Controlled Pipe-Thread Tightener, which issued Mar. 27, 1973, to Valentin C. Radulescu. In this device, mechanical tongs are used to grip a pipe, with the tongs being comprised of an arm having a handle which may be gripped by an operator, jaws which are articulated to each other, and catches which Iock the tongs around the pipe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a small, compact wrench designed to apply a predetermined force to a metallic bottle which is threadedly attached to a missile launcher. A semicircular spanner is provided with a nodule which is engageable with a hole in a metallic bottle and a handle is pivotally attached to the spanner. A plunger is engageable with the bottom side of the handle and provides a given amount of force that resists movement of the handle. As force is applied to the handle, the plunger is depressed and when the plunger is fully depressed, a known amount of torque has been applied to the bottle to which the spanner was attached.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a small compact torque wrench for a large cylindrical object such as a pipe or bottle.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the preferred embodiment showing the device of the present invention in operation;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawing, there is shown a torque spanner wrench 11 which is attached to a workpiece 12, such as a skirt of a high-pressure bottle, or a pipe, which is threadedly attached to another workpiece. Wrench 11 has an arcuate spanner portion 13 and an enlarged boss portion 14 is attached or made integral to one end of the arcuate spanner portion 13. As can be seen in FIG. 2 of the drawing, the arcuate length of spanner portion 13 is slightly less than one-half the circumference of the workpiece 12 in order for spanner portion 13 to be fitted around workpiece 12. A nodule 15 is attached to spanner portion 13, as by welding, and nodule 14 is engageable in a hole 16 in workpiece 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing a hand lever 17 is pivotally attached to ears l8 and 19 on spanner portion 13 by means of a dowel pin 21. As best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, lever 17 is spaced apart from spanner portion 13 so that lever 17 can pivot about pin 21. A wide, flat portion 22 is provided on one end of lever 17 to accommodate a thumb, or palm of a hand, to be used to pivot lever 17. While lever 17 is pivotable, it is not freely pivotable, as plunger 23 is slidably mounted in boss 14 and a spring 24 is provided to bias plunger 23 in contact with the flat portion 22 of lever 17. As shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, spring 24 is retained in boss 14 by a set-screw 25. Spring 24 is chosen to provide a predetermined force (F) against lever 17 or, more particularly, so that a given force (F) will fully depress plunger 23 so that the bottom side 26 of flat portion 22 will engage the top side 27 of boss 14. As lever 17 acts through moment arm d", and as a force F" is overcome in depressing plunger 23, a torque equal to d" X F" has been applied to workpiece 12 when surface 26 of flat portion 22 engages the top surface 27 of boss 14.

A hex head 28 is attached, as by welding, to boss 14 and can accommodate an end wrench, or the like, for removing or unthreading workpiece 12 from another workpiece. It should be noted, however, that the wrench 11 would need be reversed from the position shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, as counterclockwise movement of wrench 11 would cause it to be released from the workpiece 12. Also it should be noted that if a wrench would be used to engage hex head 28 and turn tool 11 in a clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, the torque feature of the tool would be avoided. Thus hex head 28 is designed for use in unthreading, when the two workpieces might be corroded or otherwise stuck together.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawing, there is shown an embodiment of the invention wherein hex head 28 is attached to hand lever 17. A wrench can be engaged with hex head 28 and can provide a mechanical advantage while wrench 11 is being used to tighten a workpiece 12. In FIG. 2 of the drawing, the hex head 28 is attached to boss 14, which forms part of spanner portion 13, and hex head 28 is used to loosen workpiece 12. In FIG. 4, however, hex head 28 is attached to lever 17 and is used to tighten workpiece 12. It is obvious, therefore, that an embodiment could be readily made wherein hex heads are provided on both the spanner portion 13 and lever 17.

In FIG. 3 of the drawing, a plunger 23 and spring 24 are shown retained in boss 14 and provide a resistive force against lever 17. in FIG. 4 of the drawing, it is shown that a Vlier spring plunger 31 is threadedly engaged in boss 14 to provide a resistive force against lever 17. Vlier spring plungers are manufactured and sold by the Vlier Engineering Corporation, Burbank, Calif, 91505. These Vlier spring plungers have a plunger and spring mounted in a case which has its outer surface threaded. Various sizes are available to provide a desired force or pressure.

OPERATION In operation, a workpiece, such as a metal bottle or pipe is provided with a hole 16 and nodule of wrench 11 is engaged in hole 16. Spring 24, or Vlier spring plunger 31, has previously been selected so that its force F, which is applied through distance *d", will provide the desired torque. Pressure is applied to hand lever 17, and this pressure is resisted by plunger 23, and workpiece 12 is threaded onto another workpiece. As the two workpieces become tightened, continued pressure on lever 17 causes plunger 23 to compress spring 24. When surface 26 of flat portion 22 engages the top surface 27 of boss 14, the desired amount of torque has been applied to workpiece 12 and wrench 11 is then removed from workpiece 12.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:

1. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object comprising,

a single arcuate spanner portion shaped to conform to the outer periphery of a cylindrical object to be torqued and having one end terminating with an enlarged boss portion,

fastening means on said single arcuate spanner portion engageable with a cylindrical object to be torqued,

a hand lever pivotally attached to said arcuate spanner portion, and

selective torque regulating means applied to one end of said hand lever for preventing rotation of said hand lever relative to said single arcuate spanner portion whereby a force applied to said one end of said hand lever rotates said cylindrical object and whereupon said one end of said hand lever engages said boss portion when a predetermined amount of torque has been applied to said hand lever.

2. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 wherein the arcuate length of said spanner portion is slightly less than semicircular.

3. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fastening means is a nodule attached to said spanner portion, said nodule being adaptable for engagement in a hole in said cylindrical object.

4. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 wherein said selective torque regulating means applied to one end of said hand lever is a spring biased plunger slidably positioned in said boss portion.

5. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 wherein said selective torque regulating means applied to one end of said hand lever is a Vlier spring plunger threadedly engaged in said boss portion.

6. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 having a hexheaded protrusion attached to said boss portion for engagement by an auxiliary wrench.

7. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 having a hex-headed protrusion attached to said hand lever for engagement by an auxiliary wrench. 

1. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object comprising, a single arcuate spanner portion shaped to conform to the outer periphery of a cylindrical object to be torqued and having one end terminating with an enlarged boss portion, fastening means on said single arcuate spanner portion engageable with a cylindrical object to be torqued, a hand lever pivotally attached to said arcuate spanner portion, and selective torque regulating means applied to one end of said hand lever for preventing rotation of said hand lever relative to said single arcuate spanner portion whereby a force applied to said one end of said hand lever rotates said cylindrical object and whereupon said one end of said hand lever engages said boss portion when a predetermined amount of torque has been applied to said hand lever.
 2. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 wherein the arcuate length of said spanner portion is slightly less than semicircular.
 3. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fastening means is a nodule attached to said spanner portion, said nodule being adaptable for engagement in a hole in said cylindrical object.
 4. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 wherein said selective torque regulating means applied to one end of said hand lever is a spring biased plunger slidably positioned in said boss portion.
 5. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 wherein said selective torque regulating means applied to one end of said hand lever is a Vlier spring plunger threadedly engaged in said boss portion.
 6. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 having a hexheaded protrusion attached to said boss portion for engagement by an auxiliary wrench.
 7. A wrench for applying a predetermined amount of torque to a cylindrical object as set forth in claim 1 having a hex-headed protrusion attached to said hand lever for engagement by an auxiliary wrench. 